Tag Archives: 3D Printer

Extending their da Vinci range, XYZprinting have announced two new 3D printers at IFA this year, along with 3D project curriculum packs to help teachers and educators.

The first new model is in the mini series which is aimed at families and the home market. The da Vinci Color Mini is a fused filament fabrication (FFF) printer with an improved air fan for increased print quality and an auto load filament to ensure the filaments are loaded easily and correctly, which is great for family use. The autolevelling removable print bed helps objects stay straight, stick well for a good model and then be removed easily once printed. The internal volume is 13 x 13 x 13 cm which allows reasonably size models to be printed and the printer also features a 5 inch colour touch panel for user friendly and intuitive experience. List price is GB£1599, which isn’t cheap but is affordable for the keen and enthusiastic family. I imagine it would be good choice for smaller schools too.

The second model is the da Vinci AiO (All in One) and it’s decidedly more advanced. A bit bigger, with a 20 x 20 x 15 cm volume, the AiO is able to print in full-colour using colour texture inkjet printing 3D structure, which combines inkjet printing with FFF 3D printing. That’s great but in addition to full colour printing the AiO has a built in engraver and a 3D scanner. The press release doesn’t go into detail into how this works, or the limitations of the 3D scanner but it sounds like we’ve almost got a 3D copier here. That’s pretty cool. List price is GB£2699.

Finally, XYZprinting have a selection of 3D projects to support the STEAM curriculum. That’s STEAM as in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Maths rather than a popular software delivery platform. These packs help teachers engage with there students using 3D technology to effectively explore the topic areas. The packages will be divided into age brackets for ages 5-11, 11-14 and 14-18 and the content in each age category will be relevant across different subjects. Price to be confirmed.

3D printing holds a lot of promise for many different aspects of human activity. However it’s been only in recent years that small-scale 3D printers have become widely available. While these smaller machines are impressive with what they can do, they’re often limited by their smaller-scale sizes.

Creative 3D Technology is working to expand 3D printing to the industrial scale. Todd met with the company’s founder, Ethan, a 17-year old who began refurbishing 3D printers at the age of 12. Ethan noted that his price points for these industrial-sized printers are much lower than what similar sized printers typically go for. He also covered some of the warranty and service plans available to Creative 3D Technology’s customers.

Todd Cochrane is the host of the twice-weekly Geek News Central Podcast at GeekNewsCentral.com.

With 3D printing, the colour of the substrate determines the colour of the model and as most 3D printers only hold one or two reels of material, it’s held back the visual appeal of the models. Anything detailed needs to be painted in post-production.

That’s all changing now as XYZprinting have announced the da Vinci Color 3D Printer which combines an inkjet and 3D printer, colouring the material as it goes. Because the colour is injected into the substrate, there’s no need to pause to change spools. The da Vinci Color uses fused filament fabrication (FFF) 3D printing and can take advantage of 16 million of shades using its CMYK palette. The print bed is 20 cm x 20 cm x 15 cm in build volume and there’s complementary software to tweak models for colour.

The printer has 4 ink cartridges (20 ml) which are easily replaced by the owner with a recommended price of €65. A new PLA (a polyester for 3D printing) was exclusively developed for the new da Vinci Color. This 600 g transparent coil is also certified DEHP-free & heavy metal-free at a recommended price of €39.

The da Vinci Color will be available throughout the network of XYZprinting partner resellers at a recommended price of €3 599. It’s pricey for home use, but I think that’ll be snapped up by small businesses and education.

If you happen to be at IFA, call into their stand at the Berlin Exhibition Grounds, Hall 13 Booth 102, Messedamm, Berlin.

Personally I’m not convinced by the vision of a 3D printer in every home though I’m constantly reminded of IBM’s Thomas Watson and his alleged statement regarding the need for only five computers in the world. New Matter don’t have my doubts and are working hard to produce an affordable 3D printer for the home. Steve Schell brings in some printed objects for Don to admire.

New Matter are building an ecosystem around their new 3D printer, the MOD-t, to make life as easier as possible for owners. No experience of 3D modelling is required, with pre-made models in their online store. Some are free of charge, others cost a fee; it’s up to the designer. All the major 3D model formats are supported so keen owners can create their own designs if desired. It’s a single head printer so only one colour of plastic polymer can be used at a time, though the material can be changed during a print run. If I’m wrong and you want one in your home, the New Matter’s MOD-t 3D printer will be available in the summer for less than $400.

Staples announced that it has become the first major retailer in the United States to sell 3D printers. Those of you who have become interested in getting your very own 3D printer won’t have to wait too much longer to purchase one from Staples.

Staples will begin offering a limited number of The Cube 3D Printer from 3D Systems by the end of June of this year. The Staples website has the price set at $1,299.99. It comes in five different colors: magenta, blue, green, silver, and white. The announcement includes the following details about the 3D printer:

The Cube 3D Printer, ready to use right out of the box, features Wi-Fi, is compatible with Mac or Windows, and comes with 25 free 3D templates designed by professional artists, with additional templates available online.

…The Cube 3D Printer can print items up to 5.5” x 5.5” x 5.5”, using material cartridges in 16 different colors including metallic silver, glow in the dark, and vibrant and neutral colors. Users can either print from a template or create a design using Cube’s own software, Cubify Invent, sold separately. Staples makes printing with the Cube easy, by offering all of the essential accessories, including recyclable ABS and compostable PLA plastic cartridge refills, replenishment Cube Sticks, which are used to stabilize the object being printed, and replacement Cube Print Pads.

Formlabs is introducing a 3D printer for the pro-consumer market. Unlike most consumer 3D printers this printer uses Stereolithography. The process uses Formlabs resin which is cured by UV laser. The laser traces out a cross-section which then hardens and each layer is built upon the lower layer. The item is printed upside down, so if you are printing the Eiffel Tower the base is printed first. Most other 3D printers use the plastic extrusion method, where plastic is melted and formed, which is less accurate. Stereolithography allows precise details to be printed. Each layer is about 25 micro thick and you can print about 1.5 centimeters per hour on average.

The Formlabs 1 software works with an STL file from any CAD package. The program allows you to rotate, scale and move parts around. You can print multiple pieces at once from different models. The Form1 printer is available for preorder for $3299, which includes the printer, the software, one liter of grey resin and a finishing kit.